Apparatus for disassembling a hydraulic valve lifter



July 17, 1956 c. B. CLARKE ErAL 2,754,574

APPARATUS FOR DISASSEMBLING, A HYDRAULIC VALVE LIFTER Filed Dec. 11. 1952 JNVENTORS CHARLES B. CLARKE 5 WLLOYD EDWARDS `TH 1R ATTQRNEY United States Patent O APPARATUS FOR DISASSEMBLING A HYDRAULIC VALVE LIFTER Charles B. Clarke and Lloyd Edwards, Dayton, Ohio Application December 11, 1952, Serial No. 325,361

`2 Claims. (Cl. 29-2'13) This invention relates to an apparatus for and a method of disassembling a hydraulic valve lifter used in automobile engines.

Many types of automobile engines employ the use of a plurality of hydraulic valve lifters and associated mechanisms. Each lifter operates a rod which actuates movement of a valve. Frequently, one or more of these hydraulic valve lifters in an automobile engine fails to operate properly. In such instances, the plunger inthe lifter has become tightly xed to the inner wall of the lifter-body. To function properly, the plunger must slide freely within thebody.

When the parts of the engine are disassembled and the malfunctioning lifter is removed, the automobile mechanic usually learns that it is impossible to remove the plungervfrom within the body of the hydraulic lifter. The mechanic strikes the lifter body upon a hard material while he holds the body in an inverted position. Seldom is this process successful in removing the plunger from the body of the lifter. Due to the fact that the plunger is so xed within the body of the valve lifter `that it cannot be removed, the entire lifter must be rejected from further usage. Consequently, it is usuallyl necessary to replace an inoperative lifter with a new lifter. This is an expensive procedure. This procedure, also, requires large amounts of steels and other metals which might be used in other products.

An object of this invention is to provide apparatus for and a method of easily removing a plunger whichhas become stuck within the body of a hydraulic valve lifter.

Other objects and advantages reside in the construction of parts, the combination thereof and the mode of operation, as will become more apparent from the following description. 'y

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is an end view of a device used in the removal of a plunger from within the body of a valve lifter. l

Figure 2 is a longitudinal view of the device.

Figure 3 is a-fragmentary longitudinal side view of the device.

Figure54 is a fragmentary view of the tubular portion of the device used in the dislodging process.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of the dislodging device showing a hydraulic lifter inserted in the dislodging device. The hydraulic lifter is shown in section.

Figure 6 is a perspective view with the parts shown in section.

Referring to the drawings in detail, a hydraulic lifter is composed of a body 10 which is substantially a hollow cylinder open at one end. Within the body 10 is a shoulder 12 which is formed by the reduction in diameter of the cavity Within the body 10.

A plunger 14 is adapted to it snugly and slidably within the cylindrical cavity of the body 10. The plunger 14 has a cylindrical cavity formed therein and the plunger 14 is open at one end. In the wall of the plunger 14 opposite the open end, an orice 15 is formed. En-

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2 circling ,the orifice on the outer surface of the plunger 14 integral with the plunger 14 is a lip 16.

A ball 18 acts as a valve closing the orifice of the plung er 14 as the ball abuts the lip 16. A ball retainer 20, cuplike in shape, is adapted to fit over the lip 16. A helical spring 22, positioned in the closed end of the body 10, biases the ball retainer 20 and the plunger 14 outwardly. The open end of the plunger 14 is closed by a push rod seat 23. The push rod seat 23 ts snugly over the open end of the plunger 14. The push rod seat 23 is retained within the body 10 by a locking ring 24 which tits into a groove 26 at the open end of the lifter body it). The spring 22 acts as a resilient means forcing the plunger 14, having the push rod seat 23 as a cover, against the locking ring 24 in the groove 26.

As previously stated, a frequent occurrence in an automobile service department is the discovery that a valve lifter in an engine does not operate properly. This is caused by lodging of the plunger in'the bore of the lifter body. The sticking of the plunger to the bore of the y lifter body may be a result of one of various causes.

Formerly, it has been practically impossible to remove the plunger 14 from the body 10 if the plunger 14 became firmly fixed within the body 10.

This invention utilizes a holder 29 for a hydraulic lifter during the process of dislodging the plunger 14. The holder 29 has a cylindrical barrel 30 attached to a bracket 32. A protruding end 34 of the bracket 32 is adapted to be clamped in any suitable tool, such as a vise. The bracket 32 is so positioned, when the end 34 is retained in a clamped position, that the barrel 30 is held in a horizontal position.

A hydraulic lifter having an improperly operative plunger is inserted into the cylindrical cavity of the barrel as shown in Figure 5. The locking ring 24 is first removed,

. allowing removal of the push rod seat 23.

As disclosed in Figures 4 and 5, a small tube or pipe 40 is adjustably supported upon the barrel 30 andthe bracket 32 by means of an arm 41 which telescopes into a sleeve 42. The pipe 40 is inserted into the plunger 14 and through the orifice 15 in the end of the plunger 14.- The outer diameter of the pipe 40 is only slightly smaller than the diameter of the orifice 15, thus providing a snug fit of the pipe 40 through the orifice 15. The tip of the pipe 40 is caused to engage the surface of the ball18. The other end of the pipe 40 has a beveled adapter .-43 providing means of attachment to a conventional high pressure grease gun which may consist of' a'small hand grease gun.

By longitudinal movement of the pipe 40, the'ball 18 is ,forced against the end of the ball retainer 20. The pipe 40 is forced inwardly farther, causing movement of the ball retainer 20. This inward movement requires further compression of the spring 22. This inward movement of the ball retainer 20 provides an opening between the ball retainer 20 and the plunger 14. While this opening is maintained, grease is activated from a grease gun through the adapter 43 and the pipe 40. It will be noted that the tip of the pipe 40 which abuts the ball 18 is provided with two diametrieally opposite notches 46 which provide openings between the ball 18 and the tip of the pipe 40. These openings allow grease from the grease gun to ow along the surface of the ball 18 into the ball retainer 20 and thence through the opening which results from separation of the ball retainer 20 from the plunger 14.

Grease ows into the cavity which exists between the lifter body 10 and the end of the plunger 14. The spring 22 partially fills this cavity. Sutcient grease is forced into the cavity to fill the cavity and additional grease dislodges the plunger 14 and forces the plunger 14 to move out of the lifter body 10. Such pressures can be exerted upon the plunger 14 by grease pressure from the grease gun that a plunger 14 very firmly fixed within the body 10 must succumb to this force and become dislodged from the body 10.

After the plunger '14 has'been removed from'the body 10, the pipe 40 is withdrawn Vfrom within the barrel 30 by a longitudinal movement carried by the arm v41-v'vhich telescopes into the sleeve 42. Then the body 10-is ejected from the barrel 30 by `longitudinalmovement ofthe rod 50 in a-guidebearing 52. The rod 50 is slidablylattached to alever v4 by meansof a pin 53 carried in a slot 55 in the lever54. The lever 54 is vpivotally attached lto a portion 56 of the bracket 32 by a pintle=57. A handle means 58 isp'rovided on the lever l54.

The barrel 30 of the holder 29 is provided with a bor'evoffsuchfdiameter that an vextremely small clearance exists between the lifterbody and the bore of the barrel 30. The small vclearance Y'prevents leakage of grease from 'an oilhole 60 in the wallofthe lifterfbody 10. The rod 50 -moves into the barrel 30,providin`g means of 'ejection of lthe lifter body 10 from the barrel 30 following removal ofthe plunger 14.

Many automobile engines -use valve lifters of this type. Consequently, there are valve lifters having'various body diameters. For this reason, cylindrical sleeves are provided -for insertion vinto the barrel 30. All ofthe sleeves have an'external diameter equal to the diameter of the bore of the barrel 30,`but.thesleeves have various internal diameters. A sleeve-ofeach internal diameter is'designed to'provide a slide'fitfor a valve Vlifter body of a definite size. Thus, an apparatus and a method are provided'to disassemble valve Iifters of all conventional automobiles.

Although the preferred embodiment of the device has been-described,'it will be understood that within the purview of this invention various changes may be made in the form, details, proportion and arrangementof parts, the combination thereof and mode of operation, which generally stated consist in a devicecapable of carryingk out the objectsset forth, as disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

Havingthusdescribed our invention, we claim:

1. A devicefor retaining a hydraulic valvelifter during disassembly of the valve lifter, the valve lifter having a cylindrical 4body member provided with an internal cavity having an aperture in a side wall thereof, the body member having a bottom kwall at one end thereof and being open'atthe other end thereof, said body membercontaining a 4plunger concentric with the body member and having a Acentrally disposed oriiice, a ball intermediate the bottom wall and the plunger and in alignment with the orifice, aretainer partially encompassing the ball, the ball Vbeing slightly larger than the orifice, la spring member engaging the retainer and forcingiengagement vof the ball with the plunger to close the orice, the 'combinatin comprisinga-barrel fprovidedwith a cylindrical vbore openatfone end thereof and having a wall'at the other end thereof,-the vbore being of Asufficient diameter to Vpermitl the cylindrical body member to snugly and'slidably iittherein, the' bore being of suicient length to permit the barrel to cover the aperture in the cylindrical body mem- I ber, a cylindrical tube supported by the barrel substantially concentric therewith and axially movable into the barrel, the outer diameter of the tube being slightly smaller than the orifice in the plunger of the valve lifter, the tube having an end adapted to slidably pass through the orifice and to engage the ball depressing the ball and the retainer, the tube having a plurality of slots therein in the end thereof which engages the ball to permit ow of uid from Vthe tube, the other'end of the tube being provided with a grease gun tting, a rod extending through said Wall at the end of the barrel and reciprocally 'movable within the bore of the barrel, and means carriednby the barrel for reciprocal movement of the rod, the tube being adapted to move the ball and the retainer from engagement with the plunger and to carry uid into the internal cavity of the cylindrical body member intermediate the bottom wall and the plunger to force the plunger from the cylindrical body member, the rod being adapted to force the cylindrical body member from the barrel after removal of the plunger from thecylindrical body member.

2. An apparatus for use in disassembly of a valve lifter provided with a cylindrical body member open at vone end and havinga'bottom wall at the other end, the cylindrical body member having a cylindrical plunger'thereinwhichhas become lodged therewithin, the plunger having a centrally'disposed orifice therein, there being a ball closingthe-orifice and a retainer engaging the ball, the combination including a bracket, a barrel :attached to-the bracket, the 'barrel-having a cylindrical bore therein provided with Lan opening at one end thereof and an end wall at the other end thereof, the bore of the barrel being only lslightly larger in diameter than the outer diameter of the cylindrical 'body member of the valve lifter, the bodynie'mber'being adapted toslidably'iit within the bore, a tube carried 'by thebarrel and axially movable therein, the tube having an end slidably movable through the orice -of the plunger, said end of the tube being adapted to engage the ball and to move the ball and the retainer in afdirec'tion from the plunger, the tube being adapted to-'conduct 'fluid into the cylindrical body member intermediate the-bottom wall thereof land the plunger to dislo'dgethe plunger, and rod means reciprocally movable through the end wall ofthe barrel for engaging a cylindrical body member disposed within the barrel for removal-ofthe'cylindrical body member from the barrel..

lReferences Cited' in the file of .this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 602,916 Schafer Apr. 26, 1898 n1,661,6(12 Dary Mar. 6, 1928 .1,685,408 Murphy Sept. 25, 1928 2,252,036 Ruminer Aug. 12, 1941 2,421,276 LotzV May 27, 1947 `2,459,692 McKay Apr. 13, 1948 2,553,861 Miller May 22, 1,9151 2,671,262 Kuniholm Mar. 9, 1954 

